After having breakfast, the emperor sat behind the desk in the imperial study, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, a golden crown, and sharp eyes, exuding an imposing aura. Beside him stood Dongfang Zhan, dressed in a rough court robe, and the two seemed to be discussing something.
Upon seeing Dongfang Heng enter, the emperor stopped talking with Dongfang Zhan and said in a deep voice, "I was just about to send someone to summon you."
"Does Your Majesty have something to discuss with this humble subject?" Dongfang Heng glanced at Dongfang Zhan beside the Emperor, lowered his eyelids, concealed the expression in his eyes, and spoke in a polite tone, which carried a hint of indifference and aloofness.
"General Lin Yan is highly skilled in martial arts and has rendered meritorious service in saving the Emperor. I intend to appoint him as the commander of the Imperial Guard. You know him best during the three years on the border. I would like to know what kind of person he is and whether he is trustworthy?"
"The Imperial Guards protect the safety of the entire capital. Their commanders must be carefully selected and appointed, and unwavering loyalty to the royal family is one of the essential conditions!" Dongfang Zhan smiled as he answered the emperor's words, speaking in a gentle tone, outlining the key points.
Dongfang Heng's gaze deepened, and his indifferent tone conveyed respect rather than deference: "Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."
The emperor raised an eyebrow. He thought Dongfang Heng would directly praise Lin Yan, but unexpectedly, he had something else to say: "Speak!"
Dongfang Zhan's gentle smile froze, and he remained silent, the expression in his eyes subtly shifting.
"The three thousand Imperial Guards are the most loyal protectors of the royal family. It would be best if the power to deploy them were directly in the hands of our royal family!" Dongfang Heng said calmly, pointing out the key point in just a few words.
The emperor's gaze sharpened: "You mean, President, someone from the Eastern royal family should be appointed!"
“Prince An, royal children are born as crown princes, princes, heirs, and princes. It seems a bit of a waste of talent for him to command three thousand imperial guards!” Dongfang Zhan stated his opinion with a smile, without resorting to direct confrontation, yet revealing a firm resolve.
Dongfang Heng looked at Dongfang Zhan with sharp, indifferent eyes: "Prince Zhan, the position of commander I mentioned can be held concurrently, not exclusively. For example, the Crown Prince can be in charge, or the Emperor can directly decide the deployment of the three thousand men. The Imperial Guards are well-trained and will not cause trouble. Normally, one deputy commander is sufficient to manage each thousand men!"
"Wouldn't that be too strenuous?" Dongfang Zhan frowned. "The Crown Prince and Father are already busy with countless affairs of state. To add the Imperial Guards to the mix would be..."
"Prince Zhan, I was merely using an analogy. I didn't say the Imperial Guards necessarily have to be commanded by the Emperor or the Crown Prince. As long as they bear the surname Dongfang and are members of the royal family, they are acceptable!" Dongfang Heng's gaze was sharp, and his tone was as cold as ever.
Dongfang Zhan was taken aback, then smiled gently, though the smile was slightly stiff.
The emperor remained silent, lowering his gaze to ponder recent events and the feasibility of what Dongfang Heng had said.
"The Imperial Guards, compared to the rest of the army and other guards, form a tense and crucial line of defense; absolutely no mistakes can be made!"
Dongfang Heng spoke with a firm tone, enunciating each word clearly: "When a member of the royal family serves as the commander of the Imperial Guard, sharing the same surname Dongfang, they will share both honor and disgrace. When deploying the Imperial Guard, they will definitely consider the interests and safety of our royal family in every way. No matter who is mobilized, their first thought will be the interests and safety of the royal family. If it were someone from another family, they might not have such a high level of understanding!"
"Prince An is right!" The emperor nodded slightly.
“Once a member of the royal family is born, the Emperor knows them inside and out and can entrust them with power with peace of mind without worrying about mistakes. Of course, there are also loyalists among those who are not of the royal family, but I always feel that such an important position as the commander of the Imperial Guard should not be handed over to others. It is most reassuring to use one of our own people!”
Dongfang Heng's every word emphasized the importance of the position of Commander of the Imperial Guards. He didn't mention Lin Yan, Zhuang Weicheng, or Lei Hong. He simply reminded the emperor not to let power fall into other hands, and no one would suspect that he had ulterior motives.
When his opinion was rejected, Dongfang Zhan remained calm and composed, smiling as he looked at Dongfang Heng, a cold glint flashing deep in his eyes.
The emperor's gaze was calm. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Dongfang Heng again, his eyes sharp: "You still haven't told me about General Lin's abilities and character."
"General Lin is quick-witted, highly skilled in martial arts, and utterly loyal to the royal family. He is a rare talent among commanders!" In just a few words, Dongfang Heng summarized Lin Yan's characteristics as a commander-in-chief of the three armies, not just a general. He subtly conveyed Lin Yan's extraordinary abilities to the emperor.
"Eunuch Li, go and bring me the memorials from the morning court session!" The emperor pondered for a moment, his eyes deep, and suddenly said this.
"Your humble servant takes his leave!" The emperor was reading the memorial and knew he had something to discuss with Dongfang Zhan. Dongfang Heng didn't want to stay any longer, so he politely took his leave. As he turned around, he smiled, already knowing the emperor's decision!
In the Grand Commandant's living room, Lei Hong stood tall and elegant. In the center of the room, two guards knelt on the floor. Upon closer inspection, one would find that they were the two who had been following Shen Lixue.
At this moment, their armor had been removed, revealing the shirts underneath, with the numbers 00544 written on the white back!
The numbers were drawn in red against a white background, conveying endless irony. Seeing this, Lei Hong felt a surge of anger and kicked the table over. With a crash of furniture falling apart, the guard trembled with fear. A well-trained guard had actually been outmaneuvered by a weak woman. No wonder the master was angry.
Lei Hong's anger intensified as he looked at the glaring words: "00544, try to mess with me. You knocked him unconscious and left him with this message. Is Shen Lixue provoking him?"
"What happened?" Commander Lei frowned as he walked into the living room. He had just returned home and was already furious; his temper was getting increasingly volatile...
The five large numbers 00544 on the guard's back came into view. Commander Lei paused, his head spinning for a moment. Fortunately, he grabbed the wall in time to avoid falling to the ground. Looking at the five mocking numbers, he shouted angrily, "What's going on?"
"You two go down first!" Lei Hong coldly looked at the two guards. There were some things that were not convenient for outsiders to know.
"Yes!" The atmosphere in the room was oppressive. The two guards had wanted to leave for a long time. At Lei Hong's command, they agreed repeatedly and rushed out of the room without stopping.
"It's Shen Lixue!" After closing the living room door, Lei Hong briefly recounted the events of the previous night to Grand Commandant Lei: "I didn't expect her to be so capable, able to knock out the guards I sent!"
He knew very well the guards he had trained; they could easily handle three or four ordinary people on their own. Yet Shen Lixue had managed to knock out two of them at once, which showed she was quite capable!
"Did she notice anything amiss last night?" More concerned than the fact that the guard had been knocked unconscious, Grand Commandant Lei was more interested in whether the death of Minister Zhuang had aroused suspicion.
"The time I led my troops there, and the reasons I came up with were all perfect. Zhuang Weicheng died at Mu Zhengnan's hands. Even if Shen Lixue had any doubts, she wouldn't be able to find any flaws!" Lei Hong said with a hint of arrogance and full of confidence.
"That's good!" Grand Commandant Lei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a cold mockery flashing in his eyes. That old bastard Zhuang Shangshu was really tired of living, daring to threaten him. He was pierced by a thousand arrows, leaving him with a whole corpse, which was too good for him.
"Is the Mu Zhengnan you're talking about the death row inmate in the Shuntian Prefecture prison?" Mu Zhengnan's plot to murder Shen Lixue and his death sentence after a joint trial by three courts caused quite a stir, and Grand Commandant Lei naturally knew about it as well.
“It’s him!” Lei Hong’s eyes were filled with displeasure at the mention of Mu Zhengnan.
Grand Commandant Lei stroked his beard lightly: "Once he gets out of prison, go see him and secretly give him some help!"
"Father, Mu Zhengnan is narrow-minded and despicable. We should keep our distance from such a person!" Mu Zhengnan killed Zhuang Weicheng using despicable and shameless means. Such a wicked person with a dark mind and vicious methods, who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, is like walking with wolves.
Grand Marshal Lei shook his head, his gaze unfathomable: "Mu Zhengnan is Shen Lixue's enemy. If we help him, we are only supporting him and making him an enemy of Shen Lixue. The more ruthless he is, the more miserable Shen Lixue will be!" Mu Zhengnan is not qualified to be his partner, Grand Marshal Lei.
“Alright!” Lei Hong pondered for a moment and nodded. He disliked Mu Zhengnan and hated Shen Lixue even more. The more fiercely the two of them fought, the better. No matter who won or lost, he would be happy to see it happen!
"Hong'er, are you confident about the position of Minister?" After dealing with miscellaneous matters, Grand Commandant Lei turned the topic to serious business.
"Father, rest assured, I have rendered meritorious service by killing Minister Zhuang, who was trying to escape from prison. In addition, with my familiarity and understanding of the Ministry of War, the position of Minister is rightfully mine!" Lei Hong was full of confidence. The Ministry of War is an important institution, and the position of Minister is indispensable. It was not that he was arrogant, but looking at the entire Qingyan, no one understood the Ministry of War better than him. The emperor is a wise ruler, and he will naturally make the best use of people and promote him to the position of Minister.
"That's good!" Grand Commandant Lei stroked his beard, his initial surprise gradually subsiding. He was getting old and was starting to feel less capable of handling things. Lei Hongsheng's promotion to Minister of War, making him the head of the Ministry of War, gave him real power. If he could accomplish a few more major tasks in the future, his career would flourish, ensuring the continued prosperity of the Grand Commandant's office.
"The imperial edict has arrived!" The eunuch's distinctive high-pitched voice came from outside the door. Lei Hong was overjoyed. It was just as he had mentioned the devil; the imperial edict had arrived just as he was talking about being promoted to Minister.
Grand Commandant Lei raised an eyebrow, a relieved smile appearing on his aged face. He had been promoted to Minister so quickly. The Ministry of War was an important position with many responsibilities, so it was not wrong for the Emperor to make the decision and issue the decree so swiftly.